Bi+, Pan, and More: What Does it Mean?

Written by Emma Louise Constable

A lot of times labels can be confusing. What is bi+? Is being bisexual and being pan the same thing? Well, here I want to answer those couple of burning questions!

What is bisexuality/bi+?

Bisexuality, also called bi+, is an umbrella term for being attracted to more than one gender. "Bi" is the Greek prefix meaning "two," which usually referred to being attracted to the binary male and female, but now it is much more broad term, meaning being attracted to two or more genders. The bi+ term refers to the many different labels that are under the bi+ umbrella, such as pansexual, polysexual, omnisexual, fluid, etcetera, making it inclusive and affirming to all!

What is the difference between bisexual and pansexual?

As previously stated, bisexual refers to being attracted to two or more genders, while pansexual means being attracted to all genders. In the Healthline article by Sian Ferguson, she explains it in a very clear way: "Let’s say you ask your friends what their favorite colors are. One friend might say, 'Actually, I like more than one color!' Another friend might say, 'I like all colors.'" There is a difference between multiple and all genders.

Bi Resource Center, https://biresource.org/bi-info/faq/

Sian Ferguson, https://www.healthline.com/health/bisexual-vs-pansexual#queer